In the past decade, the UN has bemoaned the chronically low level of participation by Afghan women and girls in decision-making bodies and in secondary and higher education.
But recently, the level of participation has reached a new low - zero.
Zero women in national or local decision-making bodies.
Zero girls projected to be in secondary education following a December 2024 ban.
These numbers are part of the index released Tuesday by gender equality agency UN Women which is the most comprehensive study on gender inequality in Afghanistan since the Taliban resumed de facto control in 2021.
It paints a sobering picture of the state of gender equality in Afghanistan.
"Since [2021], we have witnessed a deliberate and unprecedented assault on the rights, dignity and very existence of Afghan women and girls. And yet, despite near-total restrictions on their lives, Afghan women persevere," said Sofia Calltorp, UN Women chief of humanitarian action, at a briefing in Geneva.
Second-widest gender gap in the world
The report released by UN Women noted that while the Taliban regime has presided over "unparalleled" gender inequality, disparities existed long before 2021.
"The issue of gender inequality in Afghanistan didn't start with the Taliban. Their institutionalised discrimination is layered on top of deep-rooted barriers that also hold women back," Ms. Calltorp said.
